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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise behind this story is really cool, and I love the spotlight given to Lucy (every Dracula retelling seems to gloss over her) as narrator. The writing style is tight and engaging, and I enjoyed the relationship dynamics between Lucy, Bee, Jane, and Daisy. I just wish there had been more things going on ... Lucy and Bee are immortal, and the only things occupying their days are house-cleaning, listening to a Victrola, and going to a drive-in movie theater? I also wanted more of a backstory to how Lucy and Bee met. I loved the arc of them realizing the importance of talking to one another instead of hiding all their secrets. The setting, particularly the time period, felt very fitting. This book does a lot of things very well (characterization, pacing, setting), but some aspects of plot and backstory feel like they are missing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like gothic classics like Jane Eyre and Dracula but wish the stories had more feminism, this is the book for you. Kiste gives a much-needed voice to the overlooked women of these classic works, with sapphic elements and emphasis on the importance of female friendship, all set in LA at the late 60's.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An imaginative and entertaining novel that follows two immortal women from classic literature: Lucy and Bee as they try to escape the men who molded them: Dracula and Rochester. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this! The mixture of classic characters in the setting of the 60s LA worked for me, and I liked how redemptive this book felt. There are some fun vampire bits in here and Dracula is a real monster, which I liked! In the wake of movies like Renfield (2023), I like stories that explore characters from classic literature and give them their own tales.
Worth a read if you enjoy Jane Eyre, Dracula, and female-led narratives! Glad I read this.
Worth a read if you enjoy Jane Eyre, Dracula, and female-led narratives! Glad I read this.